Country Style Smothered Cube Steak (Printer-Friendly)
Tender cube steak in a rich onion-mushroom gravy, perfect over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat
01 - 4 cube steaks (about 1.1 lb total)
→ Coating
02 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 oz)
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
→ Vegetables
06 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1 cup sliced mushrooms (about 3.5 oz)
→ Gravy
08 - 2 cups beef broth (about 16 fl oz)
09 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1/4 cup heavy cream, optional (about 2 fl oz)
→ For Frying
11 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine the flour, salt, black pepper, and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge each cube steak in the seasoned flour, coating evenly, and shake off any excess.
02 - Heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the coated steaks for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned, working in batches if needed. Transfer the steaks to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Sauté the sliced onions for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for 3 minutes until lightly caramelized.
04 - Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
05 - Return the seared cube steaks to the skillet, nestling them into the onion and mushroom mixture. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the beef is fork-tender.
06 - For a creamier gravy, stir in the heavy cream during the final 5 minutes of cooking and let it gently reduce.
07 - Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the steaks hot, spooning generous amounts of gravy and vegetables over each portion.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The gravy practically builds itself right in the pan, so you never have to fuss with a separate sauce.
- Cube steak turns melt in your mouth tender after a low simmer, no fancy equipment needed.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to mingle.
02 -
- Do not rush the simmer because the steak needs that slow gentle cooking time to break down and become truly tender.
- Those browned bits stuck to the pan after searing are not a mess, they are concentrated flavor, so scrape them all up when you add the broth.
03 -
- Pat the cube steaks dry with a paper towel before dredging them so the flour sticks properly and you get a better crust.
- Keep the heat at medium when you simmer because a hard boil will toughen the meat instead of tenderizing it.